• 


. 


H*» 


SHe/t-ol,     of-   -t£e,  >5Sit      Me^-i^e^t" 


Library 

OF  THE 

University  of  NortK  Carolina 

This  book  was  presented  by 


(Jj.  v .   KaLvpe.r 


U43 


SKETCH 


OF  THE 


Fifty-Eighth 
Regiment 

(INFANTRY) 

North  Carolina   Troops 


4  no 

p9TIt?  i 

T    ,1   -'. 


LENOIR,  N.  C. 

No  Book  Shall  Be  Kept  (hit  longer  Than  2  Weeks,     i 

CASE |  SHELF.. 1 


•4- 

I 


In  preparing  the  following  sketch  as  a  contri- 
bution to  the  History  of  North  Carolina 
Troops,  official  records  have  been  consulted 
where  accessible.  The  dates  and  other  mem- 
oranda in  many  cases  were  obtained  from  the 
writer's  personal  journal,  in  which  daily  entries 
were  made  during  the  war. 

The  part  referring  to  the  battle  of  Bentons- 
ville  was  written  and  published  in  188,7,  in 
the  Raleigh  ' '  Observer "  and  other  papers  in 
North  Carolina  and  Tennessee.  It  is  much 
to  be  regretted  that  repeated  efforts  failed  to 
secure  the  pictures  of  more  of  the  rank  and 
file,  and  particularly  of  those  devoted  men, 
officers  and  privates  who  laid  down  their  lives 
for  their  home  land  on  the  field  of  battle. 

The  writer  esteems  it  a  privilege  to  bear 
witness  to  the  courage,  patience  and  endurance 
of  his  comrades,  and  he  offers  this  imperfect 
sketch  as  an  humble  tribute  to  the  high  soldierly 
qualities  which  they  uniformly  displayed. 

G.   W.   F.  Harper. 

Lenoir,  N.  C,  March  i,  1901. 


FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT. 

1.    John  B.  Palmer,  Colonel.  4.     Isaac  II.  Bailey,  Captain,  Co.  B. 

■2.     Benjamin  F.  Baird,  Captain,  Co.  D.  5.     F.  A.  Tobey,  Captain,  Co.  A. 

3.     G.  W.  F.  Harper,  Major.  6.     Drnry  D.  Coffey,  Sergeant-Major. 


FIFTY-EIGHTH   REGIMENT. 

1.  S.  M.  Silver,  Lieut. -Colonel.  4.     E.  L.  Moore,  Sergeant,  Co.  E. 

2.  L.  W.  Gilbert,  Captain,  Co.  II.  5.     J.  L.  Craig,  Private,  Co.  H. 

3.  E.  H.  Crump,  Sergeant.  Co.  H.  (Captured  1864.  and  died  in  prison.) 

.  (Severely  wounded  at  Chickamauga.)    6.    A.  C.  Craig,  Sergeant,  Co.  II. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/sketchoffiftyeigOOharp 


The    Fifty-Eighth   Regiment 

(Infantry) 

North    Carolina    Troops 

This  Regiment  was  organized  in  Mitchell  county, 
North  Carolina,  July  24,  1862,  by  the  election  of  John  B. 
Palmer,  of  Mitchell  county,  Colonel  ;  Wm.  W.  Proffitt,  of 
Yancey  county,  Lieut.  Colonel  (resigned  1863)  ;  John  C. 
Keener,  of  Yancey  county,  Major  (resigned  1863). 

The  Regiment  was  raised  as  a  part  of  a  Legion  of 
the  three  arms  of  the  service  to  be  commanded  by  Col. 
Palmer. 

The  field,  staff  and  company  officers  and  their  suc- 
cessors, as  appears  in  the  Roster  of  North  Carolina 
Troops,  Vol.  III.,  pp.  633,  and  Vol.  IV.,  pp.  439,  are  as 
follows,  the  reference  last  named,  however,  through 
error  of  copyist  or  compositor,  designates  the  Regiment 
after  the  reorganization,  March,  1865,  as  the  60th, 
whereas  it  should  have  been  given  as  the  58th  and  60th 
Regiments  consolidated. 

Lieutenant  Colonels — Edmund  Kirby,  of  Virginia, 
killed  at  Chickamauga  September  20,  1863;  Thomas  J. 
Dula  (resigned  August  29,  1864);  S.  M.  Silver,  promoted 
from  Major  September,  1864  (resigned  March,  1865); 
Thaddeus  Coleman,  commissioned  March,  1865. 

Majors — T.  J.  Dula,  wounded  at  Chickamauga,  pro- 
moted to  Lieut.  Colonel  August  14,  1864;  A.  T.  Stewart, 


4  THE    FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT 

killed  at  Jonesboro,  Ga.,  August  31,  1864;  S.  M.  Silver, 
promoted  to  Lieut.  Colonel  August  14,  1864;  G.  W.  F. 
Harper,  promoted  November,  1864,  from  Captain  Co.  H. 

Adjutants — Edmund  Kirby,  of  Virginia,  promoted  to 
Lieut.  Colonel  :  Benj.  L.  Perry,  Beaufort,  N.  C. ;  Orville 
Ewing,  Nashville,  Tenn. 

Surgeons — W.  A.  Collett  (resigned  1863),  W.  H. 
Harris. 

Assistant  Surgeons — O.  M.  Lewis,  T.  J.  Mitchell, 
Alonzo  White. 

Quartermaster — M.  J.  Bearden. 

Sergeant  Majors — H.  Herndon  ;  Jas.  Inglis,  killed 
at  Dalton,  Ga. ,  February  24,    1864  ;   D.  D.  Coffey. 

Quartermaster  Sergeant — John  E.  Medaris,  Cald- 
well county. 

Ordnance  Sergeant — John  A.  Hensley,  Yancey 
county. 

Drum  Majors — H.  Fstes,  Caldwell  county  ;  J.  Cald- 
well Blair,  Caldwell  county. 

Hospital  Steward — James  M.  Riddle,  Mitchell 
county. 

Company  A,  from  Mitchell  County — Captains  :  Mar- 
tin Wiseman  (resigned  1862),  F.  A.  Tobey.  Lieutenants  : 
F.  A.  Tobey,  W.  H.  Wiseman,  killed  at  Chickamauga 
September  20,  1863  ;  J.  J.  Wise,  W.  A.  Vance. 

Company  B,  from  Mitchell  County — Captains  :  Jacob 
W.  Bowman  (resigned  1862),  Isaac  H.  Bailey,  severely 
wounded     and     permanently    disabled    at    Chickamauga 


NORTH    CAROLINA    TROOPS  5 

September   20,    1863.      Lieutenants:  J.    C.   Conley,  J.  W. 
Pitman,  I.  H.  Bailey. 

Company  C,  from  Yancey  County — Captain  :  S.  W. 
Briggs.  Lieutenants :  M.  P.  Hampton,  W.  M.  Austin, 
wounded  at  Chickamauga. 

Company  D,  from  Watauga  County — Captains  :  D.  C. 
Harmon  (resigned  1862),  B.  F.  Baird.  Lieutenants:  B. 
F.  Baird,  W.  P.  Mast,  D.  F.  Baird,  A.  F.  Davis,  W.  M. 
Harrington. 

Company  E,  from  Caldwell  County — Captains  :  A.  T. 
Stewart,  promoted  to  Major  and  killed  August  31,  1864  ; 
Thos.  J.  Coffey.  Lieutenants :  J.  B.  Marler,'  T.  J. 
Coffey,'  W.  E.  Coffey  (dropped). 

Company  F,  from  McDowell  County — Captains  :  W. 
Conley,  died  November,  1862  ;  C.  O.  Conley,  killed 
June,  1864,  at  New  Hope  Church,  Ga. ,  H.  C.  Long. 
Lieutenants:  C.  O.  Conley,-1  J.  D.  Morrison,  killed  at 
Chickamauga  September  20,  1863  ;  J.  A.  Fox;  T.  P.  Epps, 
R.  H.  Sisk,  J.  B.  Morgan. 

Company  G,  from  Watauga  County — Captains  :  J.  L. 
Phillips,  wounded  at  Chickamauga  and  permanently  dis- 
abled ;  Jno.  R.  Norris,  promoted  from  Lieutenant  Sep- 
tember, 1863.  Lieutenant:  C.  R.  Byrd,  wounded  at 
Chickamauga. 

Company  H,  from  Caldwell  County — This  company 
was  raised  for  Z.  B.  Vance's  Legion,  enlarged  by  trans- 
fers from  Companies  F  and  I  of  the  26th  North  Carolina 
Regiment,  and  went  into  camp  of  instruction  at  Kitt- 
rell,  N.  C,  May,  1862. 

The  effort  to  raise  and  organize  the  Vance  Legion 
being  unsuccessful,    this  company  was  assigned  to  the 


6  THE    FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT 

58th  Regiment,  which  it  joined  at  Johnson  City,  Tenn., 
August,   1862. 

Captains:  T.  J.  Dula,  promoted  to  Major;  G.  W. 
F.  Harper,  wounded  at  Resaca,  Ga. ,  May  15,  1864; 
promoted  to  Major  November,  1864.  L.  W.  Gilbert. 
Lieutenants  :  W.  W.  Lenoir,  promoted  to  Captain  37th 
Regiment  July,  1862;  G.  W.  F.  Harper;  E.  M.  Hedrick; 
A.  D.  Lingle;  L.  A.  Page,  killed  at  Dalton,  Ga. ,  Febru- 
ary 20,  1864;  L.  W.  Gilbert,  promoted  to  Captain 
November,  1864. 

Company  I,   from   Watauga  County — Captains  : 

Miller,  Wm.    R.    Hodges,   J.    C.    McGhee.      Lieutenants  : 
J.  C.  McGhee,  W.  S.  Davis. 

Company  K,  from  Mitchell  County — Captains  :  S.  M. 
Silver,  promoted  to  Major;  D.  R.  Silver.  Lieutenants: 
J.  W.  Duncan,  L.  D.  Silver. 

Company  L,  from  Ashe  County — Captains ;  W.  Gen- 
try, Calvin  Eller,  L.  Hurley.  Lieutenants  :  L.  Hurley, 
E.  Hurley,  P.  Blevins. 

Company  M,  from  Watauga  and  Ashe  Counties — 
This  Company  consolidated  with  Company  G  in  1863. 
Lieutenants  :  Geo.  W.  Hopkins,  Thos.  Ray,  J.  R.  Morris. 


NORTH    CAROLINA    TROOPS  7 

The  Regiment  was  moved  September,  1862,  to  Cum- 
berland Gap  and  assigned  to  the  Division  of  Gen.  Steven- 
son, then  investing  that  post. 

On  the  retreat  of  the  Federal  garrison,  Col.  Palmer 
was  placed  in  command  at  the  "Gap''  with  his  regiment, 
Caper's  Georgia  Battalion  and  a  battery  of  artillery  until 
the  prisoners  could  be  paroled  and  the  captured  stores 
secured,  after  which  it  moved  into  Kentucky,  but  unex- 
pectedly met  Bragg's  Army  on  its  retreat. 

During  the  winter  of  1862  and  1863  it  was  stationed 
at  Big  Creek  Gap,  near  Jacksboro,  Tenn.,  with  the  55th 
Georgia,  Thornton's  Alabama  Legion,  Kolb's  Alabama 
Battery  and  Baird's  North  Carolina  Cavalry  Battalion,  the 
Brigade  under  the  command  of  Col.  Palmer.  The  winter 
was  spent  in  outpost  duty,  picketing  this  and  neighbor- 
ing passes  in  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  and  making 
several  expeditions  into  Kentucky.  The  details  for  guard 
duty  in  this  service  were  excessive,  and  the  command 
suffered  greatly  from  privation  and  exposure.  The  loss 
by  death  from  disease  was  appalling,  camp  fever  and  an 
epidemic  of  measles  being  extremely  fatal,  the  natural 
result  of  inexperience  and  a  deplorable  lack  of  hospital 
accommodations  and  facilities. 

In  the  summer  of  1863  the  Brigade  was  placed  under 
the  commnad  of  Gen.  J.  W.  Frazer,  and  the  troops  were 
stationed  at  Clinton  and  various  other  points  in  East  Ten- 
nessee, eventually  joining  the  army  of  Tennessee,  under 
Gen.  Bragg,  near  Chattanooga,  when  the  Regiment  was 
assigned  to  Kelly's  Brigade  of  Preston's  Division  in 
Buckner's  Corps. 

In  the  battles  of  Chickamauga,  September  i8th-2oth, 
the  Regiment  bore  a  prominent  part,  and  in  the  charge 
which  captured  the  stronghold  of  the  enemy  on  Snod- 


0  THE    FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT 

grass  Hill  at  the  close  of  that  eventful  Sunday,  the  loss  in 
killed  and  wounded  was  over  one-half  of  those  carried 
into  action.  The  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Edmund  Kirby,  of 
Virginia,  was  killed,  and  Colonel  Palmer  and  Major  Dula 
wounded  ;  Captains  Bailey  and  Phillips  severely  wounded, 
Lieutenants  Wiseman  and  Morrison  killed,  and  Lieuten- 
ants Austin,  Byrd  and  others  wounded.  In  the  capture 
of  the  prisoners,  eight  Colt's  army  rifles  were  taken,  of 
which,  by  the  order  of  Gen.  Preston,  four  were  turned 
over  to  the  color  guard  of  the  58th  North  Carolina,  and 
two  each  to  the  5th  Kentucky  and  63d  Virginia  Regi- 
ments, also  of  Kelly's  Brigade. 

The  report  of  Col.  Palmer,  made  on  the  succeeding 
day,  gives  the  names  of  the  killed  and  wounded,  and 
makes  the  loss  in  his  regiment  :  killed,  46  ;  wounded,  114; 
missing,  1  ;  total,  161  ;  over  50  per  cent,  of  the  number 
carried  into  action. 

It  will  be  seen  by  referring  to  the  official  reports  that 
the  casualties  in  the  regiment  exceeded  the  combined  loss 
of  the  other  regiments  of  the  Brigade.  A  steel  tablet  erected 
by  the  Chickamauga  National  Park  Commission  marks  the 
position  on  the  crest  reached  by  the  regiment  at  sunset, 
when  the  prisoners  were  captured  and  the  battle  ended, 
and  bears  the  following  inscription,  to  wit  : 

"Kelly's  Brigade. 

"Preston's   Division — Buckner's  Corps. 

"  Col.  John  H.   Kelly. 

"September  20,    1863,   7  P.M.      Last  Position. 

"65TH  Georgia — Col.    R.    H.   Moore. 

"  5th  Kentucky — Col.    Hiram  Hawkins. 

"  58TH  North  Carolina — Col.  John  B.    Palmer. 

"  63D  Virginia — Maj.   James  M.   French. 


NORTH    CAROLINA    TROOPS  9 

"The  Brigade,  the  65th  Georgia  being  detached  to 
"support  a  battery,  re-enforced  about  6  p.m.  by  a  regiment 
"from  Anderson's  Brigade  of  Hindman's  Division,  after  an 
"hour's  severe  fighting  on  the  slope  in  front  of  the  knoll 
"  next  left  of  this  position,  participated  there  at  dusk,  with 
"Trigg's  Brigade,  in  the  capture  of  the  Union  troops 
"  occupying  that  knoll.  Of  these  251  were  captured  by 
"  Kelly's  Brigade. 

"This  was  accomplished  by  Kelly's  Brigade  charg- 
ing their  front,  while  Trigg's  Brigade  swung  across  to 
"  the  ridge  further  to  the  left  and  closed  up  the  Union  line 
"  from  the  rear.  While  the  Union  troops  were  surrender- 
"ing,  the  right  of  Kelly's  Brigade  received  a  volley  from 
"  the  front  of  Van  Derveer's  Brigade  of  Brannan's  Division. 
"This  was  about  7  p.m.,  and  was  the  last  firing  in  the 
"battle. 

"Strength  in  action  876.  Casualties:  killed,  62; 
"wounded,  238;  missing,  29;  total,  329.  Percentage 
"  of  loss,  37.  55." 

Shortly  after  the  battle  Col.  Palmer  was  detached 
from  the  Regiment  and  placed  in  command  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Western  North  Carolina,  with  headquarters  at 
Asheville,  where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
the  Regiment  thereafter  being  under  the  command  of  a 
Lieutenant-Colonel  or  Major.  Gen.  Kelly  was  transferred 
to  the  cavalry,  and  Gen.  A.  W.  Reynolds  ("  Old  Gauley"), 
of  Virginia,  placed  in  command  of  the  Brigade,  now  con- 
sisting of  the  58th  and  60th  North  Carolina,  the  55th  and 
63d  Virginia  and  the  5th  Kentucky  Regiments,  in  Bush- 
rod  Johnson's  Division  ot  Longstreet's  Corps,  with  which 
it  began  its  march  to  Knoxville.  Before  proceeding  far, 
however,  the  Brigade  was  recalled,  November  2 2d,  to 
take  part  in  the  battles  then  opening  around  Chattanooga, 
and  deployed  in  a  thin  line,  was  placed  in  the  trenches 
at  foot  of  Missionary  Ridge.      Here  it  was  annoyed  by 


IO  THE    FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT 

the  premature  explosion  of  the  shells  from  our  batteries 
on  the  Ridge  in  rear,  firing  upon  the  enemy  in  front.  A 
veteran  of  Company  H,  with  a  grim  sense  of  humor, 
suggested  to  his  captain  that  the  command  occupy  the 
other  side  of  the  breastwork — a  brisk  musketry  fire  then 
coming  from  the  enemy.  The  suggestion  was  not 
adopted. 

After  three  days  in  this  position,  with  the  larger  part 
of  the  troops  on  duty  day  and  night,  the  Regiment  (one 
company  at  a  time  deployed  in  a  skirmish  line)  was 
recalled  to  the  top  of  the  Ridge,  the  charge  of  the  enemy 
being  made  as  the  last  company  moved  out.  The  Con- 
federate line  on  the  Ridge,  a  very  thin  one,  with  no 
reserve  line,  was  broken — it  seemed  almost  without  a 
right — at  a  gap  in  the  Ridge  some  distance  north  of  the 
position  occupied  by  the  58th,  and  the  troops  on  this 
part  of  the  line  moved  by  orders  to  the  rear  and  formed  a 
line  of  battle  across  the  road  near  the  base  of  the  Ridge. 
Here  occurred  the  only  stubborn  fight  the  Regiment  was 
engaged  in  during  this  battle.  The  opposing  force,  led 
by  Gen.  Sheridan  in  several  charges  was  handsomely 
repulsed,  the  battle  continuing  under  the  light  of  a  full 
moon  until  long  after  dark.  Gen.  Jno.  C.  Breckinridge, 
in  command  at  this  point,  when  the  troops  were  with- 
drawn about  midnight  enquired  for  the  Regiment  then 
filing  into  the  road,  and  being  told,  raised  his  hat  and 
complimented  the  "tar  heels"  very  highly  on  their  part 
in  the  fight. 

The  army  went  into  winter  quarters  at  Dal  ton,  Ga., 
under  the  command  of  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  in 
whom  the  army  reposed  unlimited  confidence. 

On  the  25th  of  February,  1864,  Sherman  pushed  for- 
Avard  a  portion  of  his  army  to  the  front  of  Dalton,  and 


NORTH    CAROLINA    TROOPS  I  I 

several  partial  engagements  ensued  before  he  retired.  A 
number  of  casualties  occurred  in  the  58th.  Among  the 
killed  was  James  Inglis,  Sergeant-Major,  a  Scotchman  by 
birth,  whose  death  was  deeply  regretted  by  his  comrades. 

On  the  7th  of  May,  Sherman  again  appeared  before 
Dalton,  and  after  several  ineffectual  assaults  on  Johns- 
ton's line  moved  by  his  right  flank,  threatening  Resaca, 
to  which  place  the  Army  of  Tennessee  was  withdrawn. 
On  the  14th  and  15th,  in  the  general  engagements  at 
Resaca,  the  Regiment  bore  its  full  part  and  sustained 
serious  loss  in  killed  and  wounded.  The  writer  being 
here  wounded,  and  disabled  for  service  until  the  latter  part 
of  the  summer,  cannot  give  details  of  the  Atlanta  Cam- 
paign, in  all  the  battles  of  which  the  Regiment  in  Rey- 
nold's Brigade,  Stevenson's  Division  of  Hood's  Corps, 
participated.  The  loss  in  the  numerous  battles  was  con- 
siderable, and  the  published  records  are  very  incomplete. 

After  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  the  Brigade  was  consoli- 
dated with  Brown's  Tennessee  Brigade,  under  Gen.  Jos. 
B.  Palmer,  of  Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  a  gallant  officer, 
under  whom  the  Regiment  in  his  Brigade  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war.* 

In  the  march  to  Nashville  the  garrison  at  Dalton  was 
captured,  and  the  railroad  north  of  Atlanta  destroyed  in 
many  places.  The  army  crossed  the  Tennessee  River  at 
Florence,  Ala.,  November   2d,   but  unfortunately  for  the 

*  The  careful  reader  will  not  confound  the  name  of  this  officer 
with  that  of  Col.  John  B  Palmer,  who  raised  the  58th  Regiment  and 
was  its  first  commander. 

It  is  a  singular  coincidence  that  two  officers  bearing  the  same 
name  and  initials,  and  from  different  states,  commanded  the  same 
Brigade.  They  were  both  most  gallant  and  efficient  officers,  with- 
out fear  and  without  reproach. 


12  THE    FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT 

success  of  the  expedition,  was  there  held  inactive  until 
the  20th  waiting  for  supplies. 

At  Columbia,  Tenn.,  the  Regiment  led  the  advance 
of  S.  D.  Lee's  Corps  on  the  Mount  Pleasant  pike,  pushing 
vigorously  the  retiring  enemy,  and  on  entering  the  town, 
was  ordered  to  seize  the  fort  overlooking  it,  the  block 
house  enclosed  being  on  fire,  and  the  small  arms  ammu- 
nition therein  keeping  up  a  rattling  explosion.  The  men, 
without  orders  and  with  the  indifference  to  danger  that  so 
often  characterized  them,  carried  out  the  boxes  of  ammu- 
nition, some  of  them  blazing,  and  the  fire  was  soon 
subdued. 

The  town  had  been  in  the  possession  of  the  enemy 
for  nearly  two  years,  and  the  ladies  were  overjoyed  to 
see  the  Southern  Army,  to  which  they  were  so  loyal,  and 
in  which  served  so  many  of  their  relatives  and  friends. 
Our  Tennessee  brigadier  rode  at  the  head  of  the  column, 
and  the  writer  seeing  him  dismounted  and  affectionately 
embraced  by  females  of  all  ages,  congratulated  him  on 
meeting  so  many  "  kinfolks. "  He  said  it  was  his  mis- 
fortune not  to  be  acquainted  with  any  of  them.  The 
scattering  shots  of  the  skirmishers  did  not  check  the 
ovation. 

The  Regiment  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Silver,  with 
the  prisoners  it  had  captured  and  others  sent  to  it  (alto- 
gether about  1,700),  was  left  as  a  garrison  for  the  fort 
and  town,  and  thus  missed  the  bloody  battles  at  Frank- 
lin and  Nashville,  and  later  on  Hood's  disastrous  retreat, 
by  being  ordered  December  14th  to  Corinth,  Miss.,  with 
the  prisoners. 

At  Corinth,  relieved  of  the  prisoners,  it  was  sent 
December  26th  to  Okalona  to  drive  off  a  cavalry  raid 
which  had  cut  the  railroad  near  that  point. 


NORTH    CAROLINA    TROOPS  I  3 

On  the  return  of  the  remnant  of  Hood's  army  to 
Tupelo,  Miss.,  the  Regiment  rejoined  the  Brigade,  now 
very  small,  and  with  it  moved  by  rail  to  Branchville,  S. 
C. ,  and  February  4th  again  confronted  Sherman.  Nu- 
merous skirmishes  occurred  at  the  various  crossings  of 
North  and  South  Edisto,  in  all  cases  the  enemy  being 
repulsed,  only  to  find  unoccupied  or  undefended  points 
above  or  below  at  which  they  crossed.  The  Brigade 
reached  the  vicinity  of  Columbia  on  the  14th  of  February, 
'65,  and  was  greatly  disappointed  in  finding  there  no 
important  reinforcements.  The  Regiment  had  the  post 
of  honor  as  rear  guard,  and  held  the  south  bank  of  the 
Congaree  until  the  morning  of  the  16th,  when  it  was 
withdrawn  and  the  bridge  burned.  On  the  16th  the  Bri- 
gade picketed  the  river  bank,  with  its  reserves  in  the 
nearest  streets,  receiving  the  fire  of  the  enemy's  skirmish- 
ers, which  it  was  not  permitted  to  return.  The  enemy, 
nevertheless,  threw  shells  into  the  town,  several  of  them 
striking  the  capitol,  where  their  marks  may  still  be  seen. 
The  following  night  the  Brigade  moved  to  near  the  forks 
of  the  Broad  and  Saluda  to  prevent  the  crossing  of  the 
enemy  until  trains  could  be  taken  out  of  the  city,  and  on 
the  17th  began  its  march.  Leaving  the  railroad  at  Black- 
stocks  and  fording  the  Catawba  at  Landsford,  the  Brigade 
reached  Charlotte  on  the  23d  of  February,  from  which 
point  a  week  later  it  moved  by  rail  to  Smithfield  Station 
(now  Selma),  where  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  reinstated 
in  command,  was  endeavoring  to  concentrate  his  small 
army. 

The  men  thinly  clad,  carrying  each  a  single  blanket, 
without  tents,  and  most  of  the  time  with  scant  rations, 
passed  the  severe  winter  of  1864-65  in  active  field  ser- 
vice.     In   the  prime  of  life,  active,    cheerful  and  full  of 


14  THE    FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT 

fun,  living  in  the  open  air  the  year  round,  a  great  part  of 
the  time  on  the  march,  the  men  became  inured  to  hard- 
ships and  the  winter's  cold,  and  complaints  of  suffering 
from  exposure  to  the  weather  were  rarely  heard.  The 
question  of  rations  gave  them  more  concern.  All  of  this 
applies  also  to  the  field  and  company  officers,  who  were 
equally  exposed  with  the  private  soldiers. 

A  portion  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee  in  detached  com- 
mands arrived,  and  on  the  1 8th  of  March,  1865,  Gen. 
Johnston  made  a  forced  march  to  Bentonsville,  where  a 
concentration  was  effected  with  Hardee's  Corps  from 
Charleston,  Hoke's  Division  and  other  troops  from  East- 
ern North  Carolina.  The  presence  of  Gen.  Johnston  again 
in  command  of  veteran  troops  inspired  the  fullest  con- 
fidence in  the  small  army,  which  engaged  in  the  battles 
of  the  succeeding  day  in  fine  spirits.  The  58th,  in  this, 
its  last  battle,  numbered  about  300  effectives.  The  Bri- 
gade (Palmer's)  was  selected  as  the  directing  column  for 
the  Army  o.f  Tennessee  in  the  assault  on  the  enemy's  line. 
The  charge  was  made  with  great  spirit  and  dash,  and  the 
enemy  entrenched  and  with  a  high  fence  built  in  their 
front,  gave  way  before  inflicting  great  loss  on  their  assail- 
ants. In  the  pursuit  which  followed,  two  pieces  of  artil- 
lery, limbering  with  all  haste  to  the  rear,  were  captured 
and  driven  back  into  our  lines  with  their  teams  complete. 
In  running  down  and  taking  the  guns  some  of  the  artil- 
lerymen were  shot  while  on  the  chests,  and  the  old  pine 
field  was  strewn  with  blankets,  provisions  and  plunder  of 
all  sorts  thrown  away  by  the  flying  foe. 

The  rapid  pursuit  over  fences  and  a  deep  ravine  so 
scattered  the  attacking  column  that  a  halt  was  made  to 
reform — this  a  half  a  mile  or  more  beyond  the  entrench- 
ments charged,  and  there  was  not  an  enemy  in  sight  nor 


NORTH    CAROLINA    TROOPS  I  5 

a  gun  nearby  being  fired.  Before  the  line  was  com- 
pletely adjusted  the  reserves  came  up  in  splendid  order. 
Pettus'  Brigade  before  in  support  of  Palmer  now  took  the 
advance,  and  in  a  short  time  struck  the  enemy  reinforced 
in  a  new  position.  Our  lines  having  become  too  short 
for  the  circle  so  extended  by  pushing  back  the  enemy, 
most  of  the  Regiments  of  Palmer's  Brigade  were  promptly 
moved  up  to  fill  the  gaps  in  the  front  line,  which  was 
now  in  the  thick  pine  woods. 

The  58th  North  Carolina  on  the  left  of  the  Brigade, 
under  the  direction  of  a  staff  officer,  was  moved  up  in 
support  of  and  close  to  the  front  line,  here  facing  south, 
and  at  the  time  hotly  engaged.  Firing  was  also  going 
on  on  the  right,  extending  partly  to  the  rear,  but  not  so 
near,  and  a  battery  of  artillery  kept  up  a  most  aggravat- 
ing enfilade  fire  over  the  Regiment,  which  would  have 
made  the  position  extremely  uncomfortable  if  the  gunners 
had  slightly  depressed  their  pieces.  As  it  was,  very  little 
could  be  seen  for  the  smoke  which  filled  the  woods,  and 
the  ground  gently  rising  toward  the  battery,  their  shells 
for  an  hour  flew  almost  harmlessly  through  the  timber 
some  ten  feet  or  more  overhead,  and  most  of  them  burst 
in  rear.  The  incident  following  will  give  some  idea 
of  the  situation.  The  brigadier,  very  shortly  after  the 
Regiment  had  reached  the  spot,  rode  up  and  asked, 
"Which  is  the  right  of  your  Regiment  ?  "  A  strange  ques- 
tion from  such  a  source  at  such  a  time  the  writer  thought, 
but  surprise  was  turned  into  amazement  when  the  reply 
was  quickly  followed  by  the  command  :  "Major,  coun- 
termarch your  Regiment."  It  seemed  just  a  little  un- 
necessary to  remind  him  that  the  Regiment  was  already 
facing  the  enemy,  who  was  close  at  hand,  and  being 
heard  to  that  effect  in  a  most  convincing  sort  of  way. 


1 6  THE     FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT 

The  major,  however,  did  presume  to  say  as  much,  only 
to  hear,  "Yes,  I  know,  but  I  want  you  to  look  after 
these  fellows  over  here,''  pointing  over  his  shoulder  to 
our  rear  and  right.  The  Regiment  was  accordingly 
countermarched,  halted  on  the  spot  and  fronted — this 
time  facing  north,  or  opposite  to  the  direction  we  had 
just  before  faced — dressed  on  a  line  of  guides  a  little 
oblique  to  the  original  line  and  the  men  ordered  to  lie 
down  for  shelter  ;  Gen?  Palmer  the  meanwhile  quietly 
seated  on  his  horse  apparently  unconscious  that  anything 
unusual  was  going  on,  although  musket  balls  were  flying 
pretty  thick,  and  some  of  the  enemy's  shells  must  have 
passed  near  his  head.  After  witnessing  this  singular 
manoeuvre,  and  leaving  the  58th  Regiment  "  to  look  after 
these  fellows  "  as  ordered,  the  general  leisurely  rode  off 
to  some  other  part  of  his  Brigade  on  the  front  line,  where 
the  business  in  hand  was  not  so  dull  and  uninteresting. 
He  did  not  have  far  to  go. 

The  slender  line  without  earthworks  that  so  nearly 
encircled  our  position,  held  its  ground  against  repeated 
assaults  of  the  enemy  in  heavy  force  until  eight  o'clock 
at  night,  when  the  firing  ceased,  and  at  midnight  the 
army  resumed  the  position  of  the  morning. 

A  more  remarkable  experience  befell  a  detachment 
of  Tennesseans  of  the  Brigade.  In  filling  a  gap  in  the 
front  line  as  stated,  Colonel  Searcey  in  command,  found  a 
flank  of  the  enemy  which  he  proceeded  at  once  to  turn 
and  attack  in  reverse.  Before  the  movement,  which  was 
being  successfully  accomplished,  had  proceeded  very  far, 
however,  a  Federal  reserve  appeared,  closed  the  gap  and 
cut  off  the  return  of  the  colonel  with  a  part  of  his  com- 
mand. The  detachment  thus  cut  off  made  its  way  suc- 
cessfully  through    Sherman's  lines   and  near  his   trains, 


NORTH    CAROLINA    TROOPS  1 7 

capturing  as  they  went  an  officer  and  forty  men,  to  whom 
they  were  in  the  act  of  surrendering,  but,  discovering  the 
small  opposing  force,  the  Tennesseans  seized  the  guns 
which  had  been  thrown  down  and  compelled  the  sur- 
render of  their  would-be  captors.  The  detachment 
marched  with  their  prisoners  through  the  woods  and  over 
obscure  roads  to  Raleigh,  and  rejoined  the  Brigade  near 
Smithfield  ten  days  after  the  battle,  greatly  to  the  sur- 
prise and  delight  of  their  friends,  who  were  ready  to  give 
them  up  as  lost. 

The  restoration  of  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston  to  the 
command  gave  great  confidence  to  the  Army  of  Tennes- 
see, and  the  forward  movement,  as  was  generally  the 
case,  put  the  men  in  fine  spirits  and  willing  to  attempt  any 
duty  that  he  would  require  of  them.  In  illustration  of  the 
faith  of  the  men  in  their  chief :  two  days  after  the  princi- 
pal battle,  when  Sherman's  cavalry  came  so  near  seizing 
the  bridge  in  the  rear,  the  firing  attracted  attention,  and 
some  one  asking  "what  that  fire  in  rear  of  the  army 
meant,"  the  reply  came  promptly  from  the  ranks  of  the 
58th  in  the  most  unconcerned  manner,  "  Don't  be  uneasy, 
my  son.  Old  Joe  has  a  wagon  train  back  there  some- 
where, and  there  is  no  danger  where  HIT  is."  The  gen- 
eral had  well  earned  in  the  Atlanta  Campaign  a  reputa- 
tion for  taking  care  of  his  trains  ;  but  for  the  opportune 
arrival  here  of  Henderson's  little  brigade  of  Stevenson's 
Division,  en  route  for  the  army,  his  prestige  in  that  par- 
ticular, and  perhaps  in  some  others,  might  have  been 
lost,  together  with  our  "spider  wagons"  and  ordnance 
trains. 

In  the  list  of  the  killed  was  the  name  of  a  young 

recruit,  Augustin  Green,  from  Watauga  county,  who  came 

■Lrom  his  home  to  the  Regiment  the  day  before  the  battle. 


18  THE    FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT 

In  the  ranks  near  this  unfortunate  man  marched  a  vet- 
eran of  the  Mexican  War  and  of  the  great  Civil  War.  The 
one  was  taken  and  the  other  left.  The  old  veteran  came 
out  of  both  wars  unscathed,  and,  still  living  (1900),  draws 
a  pension  for  service  in  Mexico. 

On  the  2 2d  of  March  the  army  was  withdrawn  to  the 
railroad  near  Smithfield.  While  encamped  here  the  Army 
of  Tennessee  was  reorganized,  and  companies,  regiments 
and  brigades,  all  now  very  small,  were  consolidated. 
The  58th  and  60th  Regiments  were  designated  as  the  58th 
and  60th  North  Carolina  Battalion,  with  Lieut. -Col. 
Thaddeus  M.  Coleman  and  Maj.  G.  W.  F.  Harper  as  field 
officers. 

The  army  under  Gen.  Johnston  marched  April  10th 
from  Smithfield  via  Raleigh,  and  on  the  16th  encamped  at 
Greensboro.  Here  the  Regiment  was  selected  as  a  guard 
for  the  large  accumulation  of  North  Carolina  quarter- 
master's stores,  a  duty  that  was  faithfully  discharged,  the 
men  being  practically  exempt  from  the  demoralization 
which  the  pending  surrender  so  generally  developed. 
Gen.  Johnston's  General  Order  No.  18,  announcing  the 
surrender  of  the  army,  was  received  on  the  27th  of  April. 
The  paroles  were  received  May  2d  and  distributed  to  the 
Regiment,  which  immediately,  as  an  organized  body, 
marched  to  Statesville,  where  it  disbanded — some  march- 
ing to  their  homes  in  Ashe  and  Watauga  counties,  the 
greater  number  taking  the  cars  for  Hickory  and  Icard 
Station,  the  latter  then  the  terminus  of  the  railroad. 

In  the  march  from  Greensboro  one-third  or  more  of 
the  men,  by  order,  retained  their  arms  and  forty  rounds 
in  the  cartridge  boxes.  A  small  wagon  carried  a  chest 
of  reserve  ammunition,  a  few  rations,  and  after  caring 
for  any  who  might  be  sick,  the  blankets  of  the  men.      No 


NORTH    CAROLINA    TROOPS  1 9 

excesses  or  depredations  were  committed,  and  the  men 
cheerfully  responded  to  the  orders  of  their  officers,  to 
whom,  as  all  knew,  respect  and  obedience  could  no 
longer  be  enforced.  The  conduct  of  the  rank  and  file  of 
the  Regiment  in  the  closing  days  of  the  war  was  in  keep- 
ing with  the  fine  soldierly  qualities  uniformly  displayed 
by  them  throughout  the  long  struggle,  and  reflects  on  all 
high  credit  and  honor.  On  returning  to  their  wasted 
homes,  with  rare  exceptions,  they  proved  themselves  to 
be  model  citizens. 

A  small  fraction  only  of  those  who  went  forth  in  the 
sixties  in  response  to  the  call  of  their  country  now  (1900) 
survive — the  others  have  joined  the  mighty  and  daily 
increasing  host  beyond  the  dark  river,  and  there  answer 
to  the  general  roll  call  of  the  just  and  the  unjust. 

Truth  will  rise  in  triumph,  and  impartial  history  will 
surely  tell  to  an  admiring  world  the  story  of  the  heroic 
struggle  and   "how  ye  fell." 

"Rest  on  embalmed  and  sainted  dead." 

***** 

"Nor  shall  your  glory  be  forgot 
While  fame  her  record  keeps, 
Or  honor  points  the  hallowed  spot 
Where  valor  proudly  sleeps." 


20  THE    FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT 

As  a  sequel  to  the  sketch  of  the  58th  North  Carolina 
Regiment  we  copy  below  the  General  Order  of  Maj.  Gen. 
Stevenson  and  letters  of  Gen.  J.  E.  Johnston  and  Gen. 
Jos.  B.  Palmer  relating  to  the  part  taken  by  the  Regiment 
in  the  Battle  of  Bentonsville. 

Gen.  Pettus  and  Gen.  Hampton  survive,  the  former 
being  a  Senator  in  Congress  from  Alabama.  Gen.  Palmer 
and  Gen.  Johnston  both  died  several  year^  since. 

Headquarters  Stevenson's  Division. 
In  the  Fieee  March  23,    T865. 

General  Orders  No.  ( ). 

The  Major  General  commanding  desires  to  extend 
his  warmest  congratulations  and  thanks  to  the  officers 
and  men  of  his  command  for  their  conduct  during  the 
recent  operations  of  the  army. 

Never  was  more  dash  and  gallantry  displayed  than 
was  exhibited  by  Palmer's  Brigade  in  their  successful 
assaults  upon  the  breastworks  of  the  enemy,  and  never 
were  the  high  qualities  of  perfect  coolness  under  fire  and 
unwavering  steadiness  under  numerous  attacks  of  the 
enemy  more  nobly  exemplified  than  by  Pettus's  Brigade. 

Gumming'"  s  Brigade,  commanded  by  Col.  Henderson, 
in  the  affair  of  21st,  .achieved  by  his  gallantry  a  success 
almost  without  parallel,  and  which  has  entitled  it  to  the 
admiration  of  the  army. 

Fellow  Soldiers  :  Let  us  continue  this  campaign  as 
we  have  begun  it  and  the  armies  of  the  Confederacy  will 
be  unable  to  produce  a  Division  that  can  show  a  prouder 
record  than  yours. 

By  command  of  Maj.  Gen.  Stevenson. 

John  J.    Reeves,   A.  A.  G. 


NORTH    CAROLINA    TROOPS 


Washington,  D.  C. ,  January  n,   1888. 

Major  G.  W.  F.  Harper. 

Dear  Sir  : — The  newspaper  slip  containing  your 
article  on  Palmer's  Brigade  at  Bentonsville  and  the  letter 
accompanying  it  were  duly  received,  but  at  a  time  when 
press  of  business  compelled  me  to  postpone  compliance 
with  your  request. 

I  do  not  think,  as  you  do,  that  the  part  taken  by 
Cumming's  Brigade,  then  commanded  by  Col.  Hender- 
son, was  a  matter  of  luck.  That  Brigade  was  a  part  of 
at  least  1,000  men  that  joined  us  from  Charlotte  that 
morning,  and  was  made  one  of  four  little  reserves,  and 
was  the  nearest  one  to  the  point  of  attack  on  the  Federal 
Division,  in  which  part  of  Hampton's  and  all  of  Wheeler's 
cavalry  joined — defeating  that  Division  in  a  few  minutes 
— before  Taliaferro's  Division  and  the  three  other  reserves 
had  a  chance  to  join  in  the  action.  They  were  on  the 
way  to  the  place  when  it  occurred.  They  and  all  of  our 
cavalry  made  the  wagons  you  mention  quite  safe,  for  they 
were  fully  able  to  dispose  of  one  Federal  Division. 

Thanking  you  cordially  for  your  polite  kindness  in 
sending  me  your  article,  I  am, 

Yours  very  truly, 

J.   E.   Johnston. 


2  2  THE    FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT 

Murfreesboro,  Tenn.  ,  January  10,  1888. 
Major  G.    IV.  F.  Harper. 

My  Dear  Major  : — I  have  read  with  unusual  satis- 
faction and  pleasure  your  communication  to  the  Raleigh 
"News  and  Observer"  in  relation  to  the  battle  of  Ben- 
tonsville,  N.  C. ,  and  especially  as  to  the  part  taken  by 
your  Regiment,  the  58th  North  Carolina,  in  that  memor- 
able fight.  Well  do  I  remember  the  incidents  you 
mention. 

The  orders  published  by  me  at  the  time  will  show 
that  it  now  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  repeat  that  the 
58th  and  60th  North  Carolina  Regiments  in  this  engage- 
ment behaved  with  distinguished  gallantry,  and  won  for 
themselves  a  merited  fame,  which  will  last  as  long  as 
the  historic  fields  of  Bentonsville,  will  appear  on  the 
pages  and  in  the  annals  still  to  be  written  of  this  grand 
old  State,  on  whose  soil  her  native  sons  have  achieved 
such  splendid  distinction. 

Nearly  twenty-three  years  have  elapsed  since  the 
events  occurred  of  which  I  am  writing.  Brief  indeed  as 
these  years  have  really  been,  how  much  more  so  do  they 
now  appear  in  the  retrospect ;  before  another  like  period 
will  have  passed  over  our  heads,  you  and  I,  as  well  as 
most  of  the  men  of  whom  I  write,  will  have  "Paid  the 
debt  to  time  and  nature  and  mortal  custom  ; "  but  I  trust 
the  good  we  have  done  or  attempted  will  follow  us. 


NORTH  CAROLINA  TROOPS  2$ 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  from  you.  Our 
army  association  is  still  warmly  cherished  and  remem- 
bered. Our  North  Carolina  comrades  are  very  pleas- 
antly remembered  by  the  Tennessee  part  of  the  Brigade, 
many  of  whom  are  still  living  in  this  community. 

With  great  respect  and  best  wishes  for  genuine  pros- 
perity, I  am,  Major, 

Your  friend  truly, 

Jos.    B.    Palmer. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00032740534 


This  book  may  be  kept  out  one  month  unless  a  recall 
notice  is  sent  to  you.  It  must  be  brought  to  the  North 
Carolina  Collection  (in  Wilson  Library)  for  renewal. 


Form  No.  A-369 


